


Work, Sleep, Cry

by eilenulykke



Category: Ylvis
Genre: English, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2014-01-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 12:48:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1056946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eilenulykke/pseuds/eilenulykke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bård and Vegard are working hard, maybe a bit too hard. Something is wrong with Vegard, but the two boys are too busy with their work to notice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Brotherhood and Equality

Chapter 1

The rain pounded hard onto the roof and the windows of the office building. It was as if the sky had partied for days, and just now had hit the too heavy “day after”. There were hardly any people out on the streets, except those who had to run into stores and cafes to save what was left of dry clothing. It was pretty unusual in Oslo, where the streets were full of people, no matter the time of day, or year it was. On the top floor of the office building, sat three grown men by a long table in one of the conference rooms. They looked just as weary as the weather, one of them with his head buried in his hands, while the other one stared thoughtfully down at the table. The third person was a journalist. A foreign journalist, to be exact. The journalist, who was a man in his twenties, was very nervous. Not only was his job depending on this interview, but the two men he was trying to interview didn’t understand a word he said. This journalist was from Scotland. He had never been out of the country, and therefore spoke pure Scottish.

The journalist coughed, which made the two men raise their gaze at him. “Hoo dae ye handle aw th’ fam? Dae ye hae onie problems wi’ wild fans?” The journalist asked, clutching his notepad. “This is ridiculous, I don’t have time for this" Bård thought, as he lowered his head down onto his hands again. "Excuse me, but could you say that one more time. I didn’t catch the question." Bård said with an annoyed voice. The journalist felt that Bård’s patience had run out. The young journalists shoulders and head sank, and they all sat quietly for what felt like an eternity. The only sound in the room was the clock ticking on the wall, showing 14:50. There were ten minutes left of the interview, then they could leave.

Suddenly, the Scottish journalist sat up straight, threw the notepad onto the table and started writing. Bård noticed this, and looked up curiously. Vegard stared at the table, which he had been doing through most of the time. The journalists notepad was pushed across the table, right in front of Bård. He peered over the notepad and read: “How do you handle all the fame? Do you have any problems with wild fans?" Bård smiled. He signalled to the journalist that he needed something to write with.

After many passes across the table, and twice as many questions, the clock chimed 16:00. Bård had enjoyed the last hour of this interview. He was just about to get up, when the journalist held a finger up, which signalled “one more question?”. Bård nodded and sat down again, while doing the same sign as the young man. The eager journalist scribbled down the question and sent the notepad across the table. Bård took it and read the question, a few wrinkles forming on his forehead before he looked over at Vegard. “This question is for you, Vegard.” Bård said, he knew it was going to be hard to get any word out of him at all. Vegard had been very distant the past couple of days, and today he had been worse than ever. “Vegard!” Bård said a little louder. Vegard looked up with a puzzled look on his face.

"He wants to know which of us came up with the idea with the fox, and why…" Bård said. Vegard stared at Bård for a while, before he scratched his head and looked at the journalist. "Uhm, it was my idea.. And, uhh… I really don’t know, I guess…" was all Vegard said, before his gaze dropped down to the table again and he drifted away. Bård turned to the young journalist again and sighed; "Just as I expected.” Bård stood up and said: “I’m so sorry. He’s been like this for a few days, he’s been working a bit too hard! But thank you for coming!” He stretched out his arms to give the confused journalist a hug.

When he was out the door and taken care of by the boys colleagues, Bård closed the door and turned to his brother, who, with his back facing him, was still looking down at the table.”Vegard.” Bård said in a direct, but monotone voice, but there was no response. “VEGARD!” He shouted, and his brother snapped out of it. “What is wrong with you? You left me alone through the entire interview! It doesn’t seem like you care at all!” Bård said as he walked with loud stomps over to the chair he had been sitting in, and slamming his fists on the table. Vegard stared at Bård with blank eyes and an open mouth. It seemed like he was trying to say something, but only silence filled the room. Bård stared intensely at his mute brother before he straightened up and closed his eyes. He sighed deeply as he sat down in his chair.  
Vegard looked at Bård for a while, then down at his own hands before he said: “Bård… I’m sorry, I didn’t know… I’m not entirely myself. I’m sor-” But that was all Vegard managed to say before Bård stood up. He looked down at Vegard for a moment before he disappeared out the door. “What’s wrong with him?! I thought we were in this together. He lets me do all the work and just relaxes!” Bård thought as he trotted to his office. Everyone sitting by their desks looked up at Bård with surprised and curious looks. They had heard him shouting in the conference room. When Bård had closed and locked the door to his office after him, he took a few tired steps towards the sofa and threw himself onto it. A wrinkle formed on his forehead and he turned towards the wall and fell asleep.

Vegard sat in the conference room a while after Bård had left. He lowered his head onto his hands and breathed out. They had worked hard, and the need for sleep was great for both of them. Vegard slapped his cheeks and stood up. He almost fell asleep. “Get a hold of yourself Vegard. You have to work harder for Bård. Theres still a lot to be done.” Vegard thought as he stared determined out the window. He turned and walked out of the conference room and into his office. His desk was covered in various different documents. Vegard had taken responsibility of the paperwork so his brother could relax a bit more. Bård was always the one who talked for them both, the one who sat for hours with a phone by his ear. This was the least he could do, was what Vegard thought. Bård was probably talking to some foreign journalist or something like that, and he couldn’t possibly have time for both paperwork and phone calls. Vegard found a thin stack of papers, and with a tired smile he started working.

Vegard woke up because of a soft thud. He sat up and looked around the room. “Good morning Vegard, working hard?” It was one of the women who worked in the building. She had brought him a scalding hot cup of coffee. “ah yes. It was a bit of a late day at the job..” Vegard said dully, as he reached for the coffeecup. “you should take it easy, relax a bit. You and Bård have some interviews today as well. Which reminds me, you have to go wake your brother! He has been sleeping on the sofa since the last interview yesterday!” the woman said smiling, as she rolled her eyes. Vegard nodded to her and lifted the cup but it didn’t get higher than 10 centimeters before it fell onto the desk and spilled over most of the documents Vegard had been working on the whole night. “Oh no!” the woman exclaimed, grabbed the papers and shook them. Vegard stared at the cup with a insensible expression. Then he stood up. “Just leave it. I’ll clean it up. I’m going to wake Bård up.” he walked out the room and headed towards Bårds office.

Vegard tried the doorhandle gently, but the door was locked, which wasn’t so uncommon. Bård had given Vegard a key to his office, after the one time he had overslept an important meeting. Vegard took out his key and put it into the hole. He unlocked the door and opened it slowly.He took a step inside and looked around, unsure why. Bård was curled up on the sofa, facing the wall. Vegard strolled over to the sofa and leaned over Bård. He was fast asleep. Vegard looked at the watch on his wrist, and back at Bård, before he sank down on the floor and leaned against the sofa. “no pain in waiting a few more minutes. He deserves some sleep.” Vegard thought before he also drifted off to sleep.

"FUCK!" It was Bård who swore. "Is it possible? Vegard wake up! We’ve overslept us for the meeting about the next season!" Bård yelled, as he hurried around the office. Vegard opened his eyes and stood up. He took a few steps but had to support himself against a chair which stood between the sofa and the door. He lifted his hand to his face and touched his forehead. Bård noticed this and stopped. "Vegard, are you alright? We have to hurry, we’re late! If you’re not okay, I can do it on my own." Bård said. “no, I’m okay… I just stood up a bit too quickly. I’m going to get ready, we’ll talk in 5.” Vegard said before he disappeared out the door. Bård was left behind with a worried look on his face. But that didn’t last long, they were late and had to hurry. They were to meet the producers and those responsible for presenting the next seasons themes, and discuss what they could offer. This was what they had been working on since the last episode of season 3 and even before that! They had big plans for the next season, since they had received international fame after the hit song “the Fox”, they had plans to do stunts in other countries and having foreign guests. Bård gathered his papers and put them into his suitcase, fixed his tie and left the office.

Vegard came into his office and closed the door. He walked over to the desk and leaned against it. The documents, which were drenched with coffee, had been stacked up on the floor next to the desk. Vegard blinked a few times, it was as if the world was spinning and his hearing had gotten ten times better. This couldn’t be a good sign, he thought as he made his way to a corner of the room and picked up his suitcase. He had to bring the right papers, which he luckily had finished two days prior, so they were lying on the drawer by the window. He opened the suitcase and neatly put the documents into it, and then fixed his curls and his tie in the mirror.  
Suddenly the world went quiet. It was as if a balloon had popped in his head. He gripped the drawer and fell to his knees, his mouth went dry and he shut his eyes.

Bård was standing by the lift and was stomping his foot impatiently. He looked at his watch. “Where the fuck are you Vegard!” He thought. He couldn’t wait any longer. He started walking towards the office area again, and was just about to turn at the corner when he almost bumped into Vegard. “There you are, finally! Why did you take so long! We were suppo- Hey is everything alright? You’re as white as a sheet!” Bård said, as a worried look spread out over his face. Vegard pushed himself past him, and pressed the button on the lift. ” I’m alright! Come on, we mustn’t waste anymore time!” He said smiling. Bård was still worried, but he went along. The doors on the lift opened up and they stepped in. Bård pressed the button for the first floor. The doors shut and the lift went down.


	2. The darkness is both clammy and lonely

Sweat started trickling down from under Vegards dark curls, and his eyes flickered around the room. The twenty people, who had pressed themselves around the table, all talked at once. Bård was speaking determinedly with Magnus, while adding some karate chop gestures to specify what he was talking about. Vegard started flipping through his papers again. He couldn't concentrate, his eyes couldn't keep up with the papers which disappeared before he could read them through. His head was heavy, and his neck was aching. Suddenly, one of the men at the table stood up and informed everyone how far they had gotten, what conclusion they had reached, and that there now would be a 25 minute break. Everyone stood up, but the chatter did not quiet down. Vegard stood up and went into the hall. He was sure he had seen a water cooler of some sort on his way in.

Bård was speaking strenuously with Magnus. He didn't notice that the room was empty, for the only voice he heard, was his own. "Yeah, yeah, we'll talk about the rest afterwards! The break is now!" Bård exclaimed and stretched his arms up into the air, and yawned loudly. "You do have a point, and what you're saying does make sense Bård. You just need to get started! You and Vegard are working so hard, and we really appreciate it." Magnus said, before he stood up and walked towards the door."Hah, some of us work at least!" Bård said as a sour look came over his face. Magnus turned and looked ar Bård, uncomprehending, and then asked: "What do you mean by that?" "The only thing he does is stare blankly, and I have to do all the talking." Bård said. Magnus stood there for a while, looking at Bård. It was completely silent in the room. "You don't really think that's al-..." But that's all he managed to say before the door opened. Vegard swayed a little bit, before he leaned against the doorframe. He had smeared on his goofy grin. 

Vegard filled a glass of water and thumped down onto the floor next to the watercooler. He greedily drank the water and crushed the cup when it was empty. He held a shaky finger to his temple as he closed his eyes and breathed deep. The large group of producers, secretaries and other responsible people had left the building, in search for a place to eat. The only thing he could hear was Bård and Magnus having a discussion. Vegard heard that Bård had realized that the break had started, and Magnus complimented them both Vegard and Bård for their effort. After that he didn't hear too well, it had become completely silent for a moment. He stood up and stumbled towards the door.

Magnus and Bård stared at Vegard, and Vegard looked first at Magnus, and then at Bård. "What are you talking about?" Vegard asked to get rid of the awkward silence. "Nothing important," Bård answered, avoiding Vegards gaze. Magnus looked at Bård for a long time, before he turned to Vegard and walked towards the exit. "Can I have a word with you Vegard?" He asked, already halfway out the room. "yes of course!" Vegard replied with a wondering look and followed him out, leaving Bård alone in the room. He ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in the chair.

"Does Bård not know that you have taken it up to handle all the work, apart from what goes on tv?" Magnus asked with a worried, but still aggressive voice when they got out into the hall. Vegard stared at Magnus for a long time without a word, and after a while it was like he wasn't looking at him, but through him. 'When did i last eat?' was one of the many thoughts going through his mind. Magnus looked down at the floor and clenched his teeth. "Vegard, this can't carry on. Don't you see how Bård is acting? He thinks he is doing all the work. Come on, we'll go tell hi-.." Vegard fell forward into Magnus's arms. "Don't say anything about it..." Vegard whispered. Magnus didn't know what to do with Vegard at first. He held Vegard, who's entire weight was leaned on him. They stood there for a while, but then it started getting too heavy for Magnus. "come on Vegard, it's no time for jokes!" Magnus said with a laugh, but there was no reply from Vegard.

It was dark, and it felt like the weight of the whole world was pulling him into the ground. Vegard peeped out from underneath his eyelashes, and whined. He was in his office, but he couldn't remember how he got there. He tried to sit up, but fell back down onto the sofa, his arm limply hanging by his side. Thats when the door opened, and Bård wandered in. He had a cup of coffee in one hand, which he sipped from occasionally. In his other hand was his cellphone, which he was very busy looking at. He was texting someone. Vegard whined again, and Bård stopped and looked up, surprised, before he walked over to the sofa with quick steps. Bård put down the coffee cup and knelt down by the sofa, put his hand on his forehead, and then on Vegards. "You have a fever," Bård said a moment later. Vegard pushed away Bårds hand and tried to sit up again. Bård saw how he struggled and helped him. "Why didn't you tell me ou had a fever when I asked you?" He said, staring at Vegard intensely. "It's nothing special Bård, relax. I've just been a little queasy, it'll pass." Vegard said quietly, looking the other way. "Just a little queasy? You collapsed whilst talking to Magnus!" Bård exclaimed, his voice filled with anger and worry. Vegard was quiet, and no one said anything. In the end, Bård got up and left. From his point of view, it seemed like Vegard didn't need him.

Vegard sat alone in his office and stared ahead of him. He had made Bård angry again. His gaze swept over the room, before stopping at the little table right by him. There was a glass of water and a paracetamol which Bård had left behind. He stood up slowly and walked over to the table. The paracetamol and the water went down with ease, and then stood there, puzzled. What should he do now? He could lie down for a while and get rested, but he wasn't that sick. He left his office and looked at all the empty desks. It was after three o'clock, which meant that everyone had left. Bård had been worried about him and had waited for him to wake up. Vegard felt his head get better, but at the same time got a painful feeling in his stomach. He took a few tentative steps before heading to Bårds office.

There was a soft knock on the door, which made Bård sit up and crinkle his brows. "Yes?" He said. The door slid open, and Vegard stood there with an apologetic grin on his face. Bård stood up, but sat down again when Vegard signaled that everything was ok and he could sit. "You shouldn't be walking in your condition," Bård said, curt, and started looking through his papers again. "I'm sorry Bård... I should have said that I haven't been too well, but I didn't want you to go to the meeting by yourself. You have a lot of work, you can't do it all by yourself." Vegard said as he walked in and sat down on one of the chairs in front of Bårds desk. "We're brothers Vegard, if you can't tell me if something is wrong with you, who can we turn to?" Bård said, his face still buried in the paperwork. Vegard moved uncomfortably in his seat before breathing out heavily. "You're right, but you must understand... I didn't want you to have more to worry about. I can take care of myself, a little fever has never hurt anyone." Vegard said, smiling. Bårds mood didn't seem to lighten, and Vegard knew this. Vegard stood up with a sad look on his face and walked to the door. He turned and looked at Bård as he grabbed the doorhandle. Bård was still reading and looking through his papers, it seemed like he was deeply concentrating. Vegard sighed and left the office.

The two men had spent many nights at the office, and this night was no exception. Vegard didn't have the strength to go to the apartment he was staying at, and Bård just didn't want to go. If he left his office now, he'd risk meeting Vegard on the way out. Vegard, on the other hand, was asleep on his couch. He had found another paracetamol which he had swallowed before lying down. It was silent at the office, and the darkness had covered the empty desks. The only light was coming from Bård's pc. He hadn't really done much work after he and Vegard had come back from the meeting this afternoon. When Vegard collapsed, Magnus had called for him and they had carried him out into Bård's car. They went to the office and threw him onto the couch in his office. After that, Bård had kept an eye on Vegard and been careful. Bård had gone from being worried to being mad faster than one thought was possible. Vegard was so irresponsible, and now it seemed like he didn't even trust Bård anymore. The two were brothers, and they had stuck together their whole lives. Vegard had been the one who had watched out for Bård, he was the big brother. This past time, Bård had felt like he had the leading role, that he was the one doing all the work. Vegard had been so easy to handle, he had agreed to everything Bård asked for, and didn't hold anything back. These were some of the things Bård spent the night thinking about, and it was one of the longest nights he had experienced so far.

Vegard grunted a bit when the sunlight hit his face. He sprawled out on the sofa and sat up. His headache was worse than before, but the fever had disappeared. He left the office and headed for the little kitchen they had on the floor, in search of coffee. The smell of freshly made coffee filled the entire room, which meant that Bård had beaten him to the first cup. Vegard filled a cup and went back to his office again. The clock was barely 8. He sat down by his desk and yawned loudly. He remembered that they didn't have anything on their schedule, it was a sort of "day off". Vegard smiled, but it didn't last long. He crinkled his nose when he realized he had worn the same clothes for three days. He decided to go to the apartment as soon as he had cleaned his office a bit. Papers were stacked here and there, and he still has to work with the documents which had gotten ruined when he had spilled coffee on them. He stood up but fell back into his chair. It was that damn "blackout" again. It felt like someone had stuffed cotton far up into his ear, and he had to squeeze his eyes shut. He pushed aside a stack of papers, which ended up on the floor, and lay down on the desk. "Can't this all just stop."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks again to www.Ylviswagger.tumblr.com for translations!


	3. Clouds and Snails can be compared

Bård was staring out the window while drinking his coffee slowly. The radio was on and "Meggene" played quietly in the background. There was predicted more rain today, just like it had been all week. Bårds blue eyes followed the grey clouds that floated slowly over the city intensively, it almost seemed like they were completely still, but if you watched carefully, you could see that they moved across the sky. Bård sat like that for nearly 15 minutes, but then he broke the gaze of the clouds and looked down at his coffee cup . He put his index finger into it and knew that coffee had gone cold. Did he really have so little to do, that he watched the sky. Bård spun his chair around and rolled closer to the desk, he opened the PC and shut all the pages which he had opened. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the computer screen, the background picture showed two small boys standing by a tree somewhere in Africa. Bård covered his face with his arm and sighed.

Vegard was now lying on the floor ins his office, he lay perfectly still, staring up at the ceiling. If someone had walked past they would probably be reminded of something like a writer who was lying on the floor with writer's block or something. But what went through the mind of the man was anything but a masterpiece. Vegard tried to keep his cool, he hummed the tune to "The Nations of the World" song. He lifted his hand up to his forehead again, but it wasn't hot, which meant that he didn't have a fever anymore. Vegard breathed as slowly as he could, because it had suddenly begun to feel like someone rocked the floor back and forth, as if he were in a boat. His phone started ringing and it rang three times before Vegard took a deep breath and sat up slowly . The phone stopped ringing as he lifted it up from the desk and he looked at the display. It was an unknown number that had called him.

Bård had crept out from his office and sat hidden behind one of the empty desks, he had a view into Vegards office, and could see the other man lying stretched out on the floor. He took out the phone from his pocket and dialled the number for his brother, he had put on the "unknown number". He put the phone to his ear and waited for his brothers reaction. He could hear the familiar melody as Vegards phone began to vibrate on his desk. Bård saw Vegard sit up and reach for the phone, and as he grabbed it, he hung up. He did not completely understand what he was doing, he sat there for a moment and looked at his brother. After a while he began to creep toward his office again, if Vegard had found him, he would definitely know who had called him. When he was in his office and had closed the door firmly behind him, he leaned against the wall. The clock was almost 12, he had to clean the office and get ready to go. Everyone had to be out of the building at 13:00 when the cleaners would come and clean it, and they wouldn't want anyone to be in their way . Bård considered stalling his departure until the last minute, because it looked like Vegard was leaving soon.

Seconds passed, minutes too. Soon it had been 45 minutes, three quarters gone. Bård sat on his desk with his jacket open and scarf loosely wrapped around his neck, his suitcase was next to him, ready to be picked up and rushed off with. He glanced at the clock on the wall and began to stomp lightly with his foot to the floor, he couldn't wait anymore. He got up and moved quickly over to the door, turned the handle silently and slipped out. The lock made a little click and Bård pulled the key out and put it in his pocket. He turned and began the journey over to the elevator. Bård stopped with a jerk when the door to his brother's office swung open and Vegard took a few cautious steps out. He paused and stared back at Bård before he turned and locked the door of his own office. Vegard turned back again, and stood there for a moment. Bårds gaze swept around the room until it stopped at Vegard again, who had not taken his eyes of his brother. "So you're done for the day I see." Bård said without putting too much pressure on any of the words. "Yes, I finished what I had of work, so it is done." Vegard said and breathed a sigh of relief, he thought that Bård was going to ignore him all day. "Hah, the rest of the work, yeah. You're funny." Bård squinted. He hadn't said the last words loud enough that Vegard heard them.

They hadn't spent much time at the office. They had gone to the lifts as soon as they realized neither of them had anything else to add to the conversation. The lift they were going to take was already on their floor, so now they stood in the confined space surrounded by the suffocating silence. Vegard suddenly felt his phone vibrate and took it up. It was Magnus' name that flashed on the screen, an SMS. _"You have to tell Bård of all the work you have taken on. It really can't go on like this. I understand that you're his big brother, and that you don't want him to wear himself out. But it doesn't work when he has no idea how much work you really do. I don't dare think about how long things have been like this, but it must stop now. If you don't say something, I will. I just want your best. Magnus."_ Vegard read the text slowly while his brows furrowed, then he sighed and stuffed the phone back in his pocket. He didn't have to tell Bård that he took care of the paperwork and all that, it was quite unnecessary to mention. And besides, Bård worked just as much as himself, although it may be completely different tasks, but it was just as stressful for them both.

Bård glanced over at Vegard, who stared at the small screen of his phone. The two brothers stood leaning against opposite walls of the small room, Bård felt like the lift went slower today than it ever had. He saw that Vegard put the phone back in his pocket and sighed lightly. Vegard stared at the buttons that showed numbers of all the six floors, while Bård stared calmly at the lift doors and waited for it to slide to the side and let them out. He was annoyed and tired, and he directed all the feelings towards his brother. Bård closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he didn't need to snap now, he simply couldn't. He noticed that Vegard looked at him gingerly, and it also looked like he didn't quite know what he should do with his hands. Finally, the well-known bell sounds through the speakers in the elevator and the doors opened. Bård quickly walked toward the exit as soon as he was out of the elevator, with Vegard on his heel. When he reached the front doors he pushed the doors up and stomped out onto the sidewalk, where the streets lived their own lives. People rushed in from both the left and the right, they wanted to get to shelter before the rain that was predicted reached them.

Bård stopped in the middle of the sidewalk once he was out of the building, making his brother crash into his back. Vegard backed away slightly, rubbing his nose. "What 's up? " He asked innocently. Bård looked at the people who rushed past them for a moment, then he turned and stared at Vegard, his eyes cold. He opened his mouth, but the words choked him fast. What would he really say to his brother, that he wasn't satisfied with his work? "Vegard. " Bård said quietly but firmly. His brother, who had begun to look at some workers who were about to lift a manhole cover on the other side of the road, fixed his eyes on him again. "If you don't intend to contribute ... if you do not intend to work _alongside_ me to achieve the common dream we have, then I think you should stop now. There is no point in me taking the whole load for both of us.” Bårds gaze slipped down to the ground, something didn't feel quite right about what he just said.

Vegard had his eyes on Bårds shoes as they stepped out of the elevator, he was still quite dizzy and needed something to concentrate on. The walk across the floor went quicker than expected and suddenly he slammed his nose into the back of the taller brother. He quickly took a step back and rubbed his sore nose before he looked up at Bård. Was something wrong? What was it that had happened, maybe he had forgotten something at the office. Bård didn't turn around, so Vegard asked about what happened. After that it did not take long before the harsh gaze of Bård struck him, and a bad feeling spread out inside his stomach. He began to focus on the environment, and noticed the workers on the other side of the road, which seemed to struggle a bit. They tried to get up a manhole cover on the sidewalk, but pedestrians walked in the way over and over again, completely ignoring the so-called barriers, which really only were four reflector poles forming an invisible rectangle. Bård said his name, and Vegard turned his attention to him right away. "If you don't intend to contribute ... " and that’s where he drifted away, he heard nothing that Bård said. Don't plan to contribute? Who was he talking about, and contribute with what?

Vegard noticed that it had gone quiet, and Bård stood and stared at him. He waited for an answer, but Vegard couldn't understand what his brother meant, what he was getting at. They stood there a long time, and Bårds face changed from the blank, almost indifferent expression to one that was contorted in anger. It almost seemed like he was going to punch him any second. Vegard stood speechless, not knowing what to do . "I can't leave you ... " He said finally. Then it went silent again for a little while, seconds, maybe several minutes where they didn't say anything. They stared at each other, and little by little, the expression on Bårds face started to loosen a bit. He closed his eyes and sighed loudly, " Oh my God Vegard, why do you have to be so difficult? We'll talk about this in the morning, I can't bear this crap today.. "he said, as he turned. "My car is in the parking garage up here. You're taking the bus to the apartment as usual, so it seems that our paths split here. See you tomorrow . " Bård had started to walk up the street, he hadn't spared Vegard as much as a glance as he left him.

Bård slowly went up the sidewalk, without looking back, of course. He was still very angry at his older brother, but he had felt that what he had said to him was very wrong. No matter how much work was done by either of them, they were in this together, they worked together, and they were partners. He just had to sit down with Vegard and have a long conversation about the splitting of the work, and what it means to work with someone like equality and that stuff. When Bård had said that his car was in the parking garage beyond the office, he had lied. He just wanted a bit of distance to his brother for a little while to get his head cleared. He was going to wander around Oslo, maybe do some shopping before going home. That was when he felt a sting in his stomach and stopped slowly, his eyes watchfully scouted around and his breathing became heavy. Something was wrong. He could feel a queasy feeling building up in his stomach and a lump formed in his throat. His gaze started wandering and he began hyperventilating, something was very wrong. He walked up and down the sidewalk, before he crouched down and put his hands in front of his mouth and ran them over his face and through his hair. He sat there for fifteen minutes, if not more. When he was about to stand up, two ambulances raced past him and down the street. It was quite clear to Bård in that moment that something terrible had happened , something terrible had happened to Vegard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks again to ylviswagger.tumblr.com for translations! (im so slow, im sorry VuV)


	4. My dear brother - Part 1

Vegard stood there and looked at the back of his brother for a moment, before he himself started walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. " _I ought to tell him what's going on ..._ " Vegard said quietly to himself, he didn’t really pay attention to his surroundings as his eyes followed the cracks in the road. The people who passed him turned and stared surprised. Others turned to their friends and began to whisper. What else could be expected when none other than Vegard Ylvisåker, one essential half of the Ylvis duo, wandered the streets of Oslo all alone.

The breath was suddenly knocked out of Vegard as something tugged at the collar of his jacket, and he stumbled backwards. A taxi raced past like the wind, and traffic was in full swing. Two homeless guys, clearly influenced by something, was arguing by the large green trashcan that one usually could find by every street light in the capital. "Look out man! You woulda been flat as a pancake by now if I hadn’t seen ya’nno?!" said a man, which apparently came from the east, while staring angrily at Vegard for a moment. The man released him, and continued to wait for the red light to turn green. Vegard let a sigh of relief out and straightened up, before he found a place beside of the man who had just rescued him, and waited for the road to clear up. It was then the breath was knocked out of him for the second time, and he stumbled out of in open road. Suddenly everything was moving in slow motion, as it often does when one realizes that something bad is about to unfold. One could see how the faces of the people standing closest was contorted in fear, and how the former rescuer stretched out an arm which was never going to get to him in time, and one could see one of homeless men lying on sidewalk and squirm in pain where Vegard had been standing only moments earlier. There was also the awful expression on the face of the tram driver, who pulled the brakes so hard that they cried, as they imitated the crowd’s deafening howl. And all the sounds, and all the movements fused together into one image, a scene that did not last for more than a second .

The man was thrown like a rag doll through the air before he hit the ground again, in something that looked like a very uncomfortable way. He lay motionless, just like the air and the atmosphere in the narrow street intersection. The tram had stopped along with the rest of the traffic, and it was completely quiet among the people present, apart from a silent sob here and there. A businessman was the first to run up to the lifeless figure. And slowly but surely, the crowd began to draw closer. A few people found themselves a spot beside the businessman, and one of them pulled out his phone and called the emergency number. People had gathered in a circle around the few who sat on their knees, and the one lying on the ground in a heap of jackets that the witnesses had willingly donated. Tears found their way at every innocent bystanders face, and people gasped and wept openly as they hugged each other. All present knew the victim who was lying by their feet, a man they all held dear no matter how much they denied it. One of those who stood closest, an old woman, stammered a bit before she managed to ask "Is he breathing? Will he- ... ". The sirens which had made themselves noticeable little by little, had reached the scene, and the crowd drew a little aside to make way for the ambulance crew.

The air ripped through Bård’s throat, and his pulse thundered in his ears as he sprinted down the alley. It didn’t take long before he reached the road cross where a large crowd of at least 100 people had gathered around something. Bård stopped and scanned the area as he gasped for breath. It almost looked like time had stopped where the tram, the ambulances and the cars stood completely still. He hunched over slightly as he gripped his knees. It was when his breathing completely stopped and his blood froze, people began to turn to face him. Most had sore eyes and wet cheeks, but one common trait made it all the scarier, they all sent him sympathetic and compassionate gazes. Bård was standing there, without breathing, when he felt something cold on his cheek. He brushed it with his fingers and looked down at his hand, it was water. His eyes lifted towards the dark sky, which had a tinge of the orange lights that usually lit up the streets in the city. Snow fell like small clouds to the ground, where they  covered the pavement and made it all white. "But ... it was supposed to rain today ..." whispered Bård as he fell to his knees. Still staring up at the snow and the sky, which had deceived him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so i kinda translated this chapter part thing by myself (couldnt wait hnng)  
> so pls tell me if you see some mistakes, or you're not satisfied with it ;u;


	5. My dear brother - part 2

" One, and two! " Sounded from the two men who had gotten Vegards lifeless body up on a stretcher. Bård jumped and started searching for the path that the crowd had stepped aside and made. "Hey! That's my brother, that's ... that's Vegard, "he shouted frantically, voice failing occasionally to allow the sobs that forced their way out. A strong hand grabbed him by the arm, and Bård was stopped mid-sentence. "Go over to the ambulance and wait there, lest you fall and injure yourself or something. Try to calm down a little." Whispered a slightly older man in Bårds ear. He reminded Bård of his father, apart from the beard and the hat. Bård stared for a moment at him, before he stumbled toward the ambulance. Once there, gripping the back door of the ambulance, he turned his head and saw the two men and the stretcher. The white sheets were soaked in red, just like the yellow jackets of the two young men. Bårds legs nearly failed him, but then he felt a rush go through his head, and lunged forward, stumbling a bit, but caught himself and got up quickly again. He pulled back a little at the sight of his bloody brother, but soon secured the grip on the edge of the stretcher and jogged along with paramedics. "Vegard, Vegard! Listen, listen to me. You cannot leave me now, when all we have ... all we have worked so hard for has finally come to us! What would I do without you, huh?! How... how the hell am I supposed to be on stage, standing in front of the camera, in front of the press without you! You and me, it has always been the two of us! You- you remember the time when- when we went to school, our theatre thing! Right? You- ... " "Excuse me, Mr Ylvisåker, you must let go of the stretcher! We have to lift him into the car," said one man as they arrived at the ambulance. Bård loosened the grip and let the stretcher slip out of his hands as he stood behind. The two men lowered the frame of the stretcher and lifted Vegard up without any problems, before they threw themselves into the car as well. One door closed, but before the second closed completely, an outstretched hand popped out. Bård flinched a little , but he was fast on his feet and grabbed the hand and hoisted himself into the back of the ambulance.

 Bård held Vegards hand, staring at him. The young man who sat next to him tried to stop the bleeding from Vegard, he also tried to talk to Bård to obtain important information about his brother, but Bård was completely in his own world. The tears still flowed and Bård supported his elbows on the edge of the stretcher, closing his eyes again as he held Vegards hand against his forehead. "Vegard... remember... remember when we lived in Africa. Do you remember how every night we crept into each other's bed to escape the sound of gunfire and screams of pain. Do you remember how safe we felt when we stuck together. Hahaha, I- I remember that I always woke up and saw you lying almost without a duvet over you, or without a pillow under your head. When you told me that I had taken the pillow during the night, and how you developed the habit of sleeping without a pillow.. I can't believe you let me do it. If it had been some other person, anyone, then I'd have woken up with a sore nose and no pillow under my head at all. What I'm trying to say is that... you've always made me keep going, never tried to change me. You are the only one who can deal with me, who can handle my childish jokes and my bullying. You are the one I can trust most of all, the one I can tell everything to when the curtains are lowered. What the hell am I to do if I lose you, huh? So you ... so you cannot just leave me, you big blockhead. I - ... I need you, Vegard!" "Hello! Mr Ylvisåker, you understand what I'm saying?” Bård lifted his head slowly to see what the young man was doing, but what he saw made him lunge for the bed. He put a hand on each shoulder of his brothers, while he shook lightly. "Vegard!" Bårds voice failed. He sobbed loudly, his tears running down onto his brothers face below him. His eyes were half open. Vegard grinned slightly before his eyes slid shut, and his head fell to the side. "No ... NO, VEGARD, WAKE UP!”

Bård stumbled on his feet as he ran through the white hallway. He followed behind the two young men as he shouted Vegards name over and over again, but he was held back by two nurses while the stretcher disappeared through a double door. He was left looking at the yellow jackets until they disappeared into two new doors and a whole bunch of people who were wearing green or red robes came running from the other end and disappeared into the same door. "Mr Ylvisåker, please come this way so we can get written down some personal information." One of the two nurses said, while they began to drag him towards the reception. Bård was dropped in one of the chairs and got a tray of paper and a pen on his lap, but he showed no signs of going to write. The two nurses looked at Bård , then at each other. One of them sighed and shook her head before she left, the other touched Bårds shoulder and sent him a sympathetic look, before she left the dumbfounded brother in his own thoughts. Bård stared straight ahead with a glassy look. His eyes were sore, and a tear made its way down his cheek once in a while. He sat alone in the large waiting room, which was filled with red chairs. The whole room was sickly white otherwise, and looked like it was straight out of one of the many hospital series on tv. Even though the room was lit, it was still so dark, so incredibly dark ...

Bård blinked a few times and then looked around. He had fallen asleep . He was still alone when the two surgeons came in through the double doors, towards him. Bård shot up from his chair so the board with the paper and pen fell to the side, but he didn't seem to notice. The two men stood in front of Bård with their hands behind their backs. One raised his hand and coughed a bit in it. "Bård Ylvisåker I assume? You must first understand that your brother was in very bad condition when he came in, but we fixed him up the best we could. He isn't completely stable, but there is nothing more we can do- " "What do you mean by nothing more you can do? Your job is to fix people, to save them, and you can't do it?! "Interrupted Bård, hands pressed tightly into fists, his eyes flickered between the two men's faces. "... No Mr Ylvisåker, unfortunately there is nothing more we can do, I'm afraid. The only one who can do anything now, is your brother. If you follow me, I'll take you to him." Said the surgeon as he turned his heels and began to walk, and Bård followed slowly.

The room Vegard was in was dark, except for the little lights that flashed once in a while. The surgeon took a step to the side, so Bård could enter. Bård took some unbalanced steps into the room while mouthing Vegards name, his voice wouldn't obey him. "I'll let you get some time alone ... " the surgeon said, and closed the door behind Bård. Vegards skin was pale, and the dark curly hair was limply plastered to his head and pillow. He could already be dead, and if it hadn't been for the machine that showed his heart rate, Bård would have thought him dead already. Bård began to cry again, the quiet whimpers quickly turning to deep sobs. He stumbled over to the bed, where he fell to his knees. "Vegard... You - you can't leave me, don't you remember that I told earlier, or whenever the fuck I said it . No matter how tired you are, you cannot give up now, I won't allow it. ... brother ... please.! Bård said, as he leaned his head slowly onto Vegards hand.

Bård felt something heavy weigh down on his head, he opened his eyes slowly. The room was bathed in the yellow morning sun as dust floated slowly around, just as the snow outside the window. It was so quiet in the room that Bård could hear himself breathing, not something he was completely comfortable with, so he raised his head slowly and stretched out his arms to stand up. It was then he realized what had weighed down his head; Vegards hand. Bård's eyes widened, still staring into the mattress, for he didn't dare to look up at his brother. "I know you're awake Bård . It's a bit hard not to see. ", It was Vegards voice, but he sounded perfectly normal, it couldn't possibly be him. Bård raised his head slowly up to meet his brother's smiling face. Tears began to form in his eyes, and he threw himself around Vegards neck. "Oh Vegard... I thought you were going to die. I didn't want it to be true, but you looked absolutely terrible. Oh my god, you dork!" He exclaimed as he hugged Vegard a little harder. "Well, we don't have long, so I won't lie to you. Things don't look good..." Vegard said as his smile slowly faded. Bård pulled back a little, but still had a grip on his shoulders. "What- what do you mean..." "Hehe, now listen. This can really be called a dream, even if it is not. You know what I mean? We can talk and see each other and stuff. But really, I'm lying in the hospital bed in my room and you sleep just like you did a while ago! But it is rather cool, because now I can tell you everything I should have told you earlier... " Vegard got a sad smile and strenuous expression. Bård sat quietly back in the chair that stood by the bed, he put his hands in his hair as he shook his head. "No ... no, that I refuse to believe. There are things you do not fuck with Vegard. But this is just sick." he spat out the last word with contempt. The two brothers stared at each other , before Vegard opened his mouth again. "I'm not going to survive Bård, and you know it, I mean, you saw me!" Vegard waved his arms. "I was completely destroyed! Fair enough that doctors sewed me up as best they could, they were very talented too, but it was just too late." There was silence for a moment before Vegard continued, "Listen, I don't want us to use these precious minutes for an argument. You just have to realize that there are some things you cannot fix ... and that I am one of them. I just want to say that, you thought maybe you carried all the load alone, but you didn't. I took on some of our work in secret, without telling you about it. You know that you are best at the talking part, and let’s face it , people think you're the funniest! So I told management that all paperwork and documents were to go through me. I mean, both of us know which one is the best in that area, haha! But I did not realize it hurt you anyway, I was just trying to make things easier for you, more comfortable. I should have told you about it like everyone said I should, but I ignored them and just did what I thought was right ... I just hope you can forgive me Bård.” Vegard sat with his arms folded, as he usually did, Bård noticed. His gaze swept over his body, went over his every detail so that he would never forget it. "You should have told me about it..." Bård whispered, he lowered his head into his hands again and began to cry quietly. "Who the hell waits until the last moment to tell things like this. Who the hell gets his brother, his best friend and companion, to practically hate him, then dies in the most tragic way in history. Who do you think you are " Bård said through gritted teeth. "This tragic bastard here ..." Vegard said with a big grin. Bård met Vegards eyes and shook his head again. He leaned over and hugged his brother one last time. "Yes, you're damn right, you little naughty devil... I'm gonna fucking miss you big brother." "I'll miss you too, little brother... "

 A long, monotone beep signal spread out into the dark little room.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Ylviswagger.tumblr.com for translations!


End file.
